And just like that, another year comes to a close. It’s a time to reflect on the year that has been and, in the Volunteer Coordination Team, a time to thank our wonderful volunteers across Victoria and Queensland for the work they so selflessly do in all of our volunteer programs.

In both States, volunteer development sessions were held to celebrate and thank our volunteers. 7 events were run in Victoria and Queensland. At each event staff and volunteers met, chatted and shared time together over delicious food. Over a delightful selection of finger foods in Queensland, we listened to Mercedes’ updated presentation on ‘ delivering culturally inclusive care’.  This sparked a discussion on the need of creating opportunities for clients to share whether they identify as LGBTI+ elders.  Many agreed that older generations often face significant barriers to discussing their LGBTI+ identity, potentially missing out on the culturally inclusive care they deserve.  This topic is indeed on the agenda and will need a closer look on how to handle this situation.

These sessions provided a valuable opportunity to gather feedback from all MiCare volunteers.

Across both Queensland and Victoria, we concluded with a volunteer survey, which was also sent via email to all volunteers.  We hope to gain important insight about the positives and negatives of volunteering with MiCare and identify areas for improvement.

To all of our volunteers, those who attended the sessions and those who couldn’t be there, the Volunteer Coordination Teams extends to you all our sincere thanks.  We literally couldn’t do it without you! You contribute so much to MiCare and the amazing services it provides.

Yvonne, Alison, Kitty, Rafael, Christiane, Heidi, Mark and Lorna.

Volunteer Coordination Team